


Their Beginning's End

by Skullszeyes



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Bookstore, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Arranged Marriage, Engagement, F/M, Falling In Love, Fear, First Love, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Kidnapping, Light Angst, Love at First Sight, Male Friendship, Male-Female Friendship, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Romantic Fluff, Running Away, Slow To Update, True Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-16
Updated: 2019-11-17
Packaged: 2020-06-29 10:49:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19828600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skullszeyes/pseuds/Skullszeyes
Summary: Kafei is annoyed of his mother's insistence of getting married until he meets a young woman in a bookshop, however, things take a turn for the worst.*Haitus*





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, this pairing never crossed my mind until I came across art work of them on Pinterest, and I can barely recall their quest in Majora's Mask, besides Kafei turning into a little boy, and Anju being heart broken over his disappearance. So, I enjoy these two, and the whole "Kid thing" won't show up in this story, but there will be hints to the theme of Kafei not being able to face Anju. 
> 
> I'm not sure what this story will be about, I wrote out of a whim of liking the pairing, and I barely write f/m pairings, and I feel like I should branch out more! So, here's to that! :D 
> 
> I hope you enjoy.
> 
> Comments and/or Kudo's are appreciated.

He had to get away from his insistent mother who always seemed to fuss over him. She’s been trying to get him to wed some random women whenever he returned home during the holidays, and when he wrote letters informing his visitations. She always had someone waiting for him in the lounge, cups of tea would be on either side, including a teapot. The woman in question would be lovely, but his entire attitude would be soured by his mother. 

She wanted him married, but he kept telling her each time he led the poor women out the front door that he wasn’t ready to get married. 

“Kafei!” she would place her hands on her hips, her chin tilted upwards, while she glared at him, “you have to be wed! Stop behaving this way…” And she would continue her tirade of him being a great man and she had raised him correctly, and then she would start fanning herself, her cheeks would redden, and her comments would turn worse and worse as the minutes ticked by. 

Lately, he’s been quick on his feet whenever his mother pulled these antics. He’d learn her cues after a few of those surprises, and now he runs from his house as if he were a teenager again. She’s always been like this, and he wondered if she would ever change her ways now that she had a different priority to cling too. 

He would’ve liked hiding out in Izie’s pawn shop, but the man went out of town on a  _ “business trip.”  _ He had asked him if he wanted to go along with him, and he should’ve said something, at least agreed to the proposition now that he was home for the season.

Kafei glanced over his shoulder, afraid his mother was looking for him, he could hear her faint voice a few blocks away, and several towns folk seemed to notice as well. He quickly moved down the cobbled street until he was forced to walk along a narrow alley when he realized the street was too wide, and his mother would spot him right away. He noticed someone at the end, a woman with short red hair holding a basket in her hands, and walking into the building.

“Kafei! Where are you?” he moved away from the light that streaked along the opposite building, “do you honestly want to get your father involved?” his mother called out, her tone strong and annoyed. 

Kafei scoffed at the idle threat. His father, the mayor of Veritas, wouldn’t do anything. He was more afraid of his wife, and would cater to her every need. Kafei was getting the feeling that she had forced a marriage on the man. She was a force to be reckoned with, which also made running from her a lot of fun. 

He shared a lot more similarities with his father than his mother. It helped his self-esteem growing up. He shared his father’s blue hair, but there was some kind of strange genetic where he didn’t share either of his parents eye color. His was a sharp red, while theirs were completely different. He was also a lot more reserved and contemplative, taking in a lot of information just like his father. Unlike his mother who took in the wrong information, and loved tea and snacks with her group of gossiping friends.

Growing up and going to a school outside of Veritas, there were a few times when his parents would come see him, either for visiting reasons, or some kind of scheme of marriage, or a work placement. Some were even shocked that Madame Aroma was his mother, age hadn’t done well for her, but she was charismatic, and her manipulative ways didn’t fall short.

Kafei reached the end of the alley and was about to grasp for the door. To his surprise, the door was left open, a small piece of wood held the door ajar, and he slipped inside. He was quiet as he glanced to either hallway but didn’t see the person who had wandered in. He made his way deeper inside the building until he came upon stacks and stacks of bookshelves, and a pile to the side that need sorting. There was also the distinct smell of coffee and tea coming from the hall behind him. 

Kafei nodded slowly, realizing where he was. “I’m in the bookshop…” He had noticed it many times, but was never inclined to walk in until now.

He heard a creak from behind him, and at the same time, the bell to the front door of the bookshop opened up. The first thing he noticed was his mother’s orange hair and voluminous dress. The glint of her jewelry didn’t go ignored as Kafei hid behind a bookshelf, clinging to the shelf and smelling dust, and the scent of parchment that surrounded him. 

“Kafei…” his mother said, her voice louder than it should.

Someone cleared their throat, and he turned his head to see who it was. And his heart raced as he met the eyes of a young woman, the same who he had spotted in the alley. Her eyes were a bright blue, and her hair was red, short to the nape of her neck. She wore a a nice red shirt with white sleeves and a blue skirt. 

She didn’t look at him as if she were going to scold him. She was quick to divert her gaze to his mother who was now ambling toward the front desk where the young woman was standing behind. 

“Is there something I can help you with?” the woman asked, she was polite and earnest. She smiled gently at his mother who didn’t deserve it as his mother was glancing around the bookshop, squinting while gritting her teeth. 

“I’m looking for my son,” his mother said, bringing her attention back to the young woman. 

She glanced at Kafei and retained her smile as she looked back to his mother. “I’m sorry, Madame Aroma, I haven’t seen him. I’ve been working since this morning, and I would know if someone wandered in.”

She knew his mother? Makes sense, she  _ is _ the wife of the mayor, and his mother did organize the carnival that would happen every year. Is that the reason why his mother didn’t pick this woman to be his wife? She had a sort of patience while speaking to his mother, a bit of small talk and gossip that wasn’t as dramatic as his mother’s usual friends were. In the span of ten minutes, she managed to calm her down to the point his mother laughed her way to the door of the bookshop.

Kafei relaxed the second she was gone, and he turned his attention to the woman. Had he seen her before? Whenever he stayed in Veritas, he would hang around Izie in his shop, or leave for the outskirts to find more entertainment. 

Except, how could he forget someone...like her?

The young woman wore no name tag and was standing patiently behind the desk. She smiled, tilting her head to the side to peer at him. “You’re Kafei, right?”

He smiled sheepishly as he stepped from the bookshelf. He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling a bit ashamed that he was hiding. “Yeah, I’m Kafei, and thank you for helping me with my high strung mother.”

The woman nodded, “Of course. I’m Anju, I run the bookshop along with my mother. Except, she’s not in at the moment. I think it was a good thing that I was here. She wouldn’t have dared let you hide behind the shelf.”

He nodded, smiling at her. How could he have missed her? 

Kafei took a step back, “Thank you again, Anju,” the name felt right on his tongue, but at the same time, he wasn’t sure if he was allowed to say her name, “I appreciate it.”

“I do suggest a different hiding spot next time,” she said.

Kafei shrugged, “I don’t believe my mother has that much of an opinion of me about reading, I think it’s the reason why she’s determined to control every part of my life.” He knows he’s stalling, mostly out of not wanting to leave and running into his mother, and another part of him, not wanting to leave Anju’s presence. “I think I might come here again.”

“To hide?” she mused. 

Kafei nodded, not entirely sure if that’s the motive, but it’s a good enough reason to stay away from his mother. She wouldn’t expect him to hide inside a bookshop.

“I’ll be here in the mornings,” she told him, “and later on in the evening before closing time.” 

Kafei stopped, hand on the door handle. This was good, he couldn’t believe it, but he didn’t know why that was. “Maybe we’ll see each other again.” He waved and slipped through the door, closing it behind him, and he couldn’t believe how hard his heart was beating. He didn’t think it would race so strongly for someone before. He glanced down each street before making his way to the Curiosity Shop. 

Izie wouldn’t be there, but he gave him a key to the back door where he was allowed to hide in during his visits to Veritas if it ever came to it. Maybe now, he can stay there until he’s forced to return home and face his mother’s wrath, and a possible engagement to another woman. 

Anju. 

If only he knew her long before his mother’s ideals came to light, blotting out his own intentions for his future, he didn’t know if he was allowed to walk his own path, but she was beautiful.


	2. Evening Flowers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kafei is getting ready for his date with Anju.

Kafei hummed on the table while swinging his legs. There was a joyful smile on his face, his eyes alight with warmth and expectation. His friend watched from the hall, hands gripping a box that was taped, falsely labeled, and set along with many other boxes that would need to be placed within his wagon by the late night. 

“You’re in high spirits,” his friend, Izie, said in a deadpan tone. He had never seen Kafei like this, and Kafei hadn’t felt this way before. He was happily tying a ribbon around the stems of a bouquet of flowers, and would restart with a new ribbon whenever he messed up. He did this in the last fifteen minutes, ignoring everything, but the thought of where he was going after he finishes.

“I’m going to see Anju,” said Kafei, as if it were obvious but with less spite. 

“Do you know where I’m going?” Izie teased, setting the box down upon another box. 

“To pay back your debts?” Kafei asked, glancing up at his friend before returning his gaze to the pink and purple flowers he had found blooming outside of Veritas. He didn’t want his mother finding out, so it was better to look for his own instead of going to a flower shop. One of her friends works there, and if his mother got wind of where his attention has been in the last few days, he won’t hear the end of it.

“Not exactly,” Izie said, stacking another box and letting out a sigh. He was lanky man, about two inches taller than Kafei, and three years older. It’s been a long time since he’s known Izie, and he already got himself a reputation. A shady one that his mother sometimes brings up, and his father ignores. If Kafei doesn’t get thrown into the town prison, then his father was fine with whoever he was friends with. He never did hear the end of his mother’s pleas and lectures. 

Good thing is was a long time ago, and it’s also a good thing Kafei rarely listened to his parents. He liked Izie. He was nice, honest, and laidback to Kafei’s own problems when Izie had to deal with sketchy dealers from other towns and cities. Izie once told him he had a knack in knowing when someone was lying, and when he had to get out of a situation. This instinct saved his life in the past several years. 

“Leaving Veritas for awhile,” Izie informs Kafei as he crossed the room and pulled one of the petals from Kafei’s flowers. He glared halfheartedly while Izie rubbed his fingers together, damaging the petal. “I’m guessing this time you’re not coming along.”

Kafei shook his head. “I’d rather not experience my mother’s wrath if I ever return.”

“You don’t have too,” Izie said, opening a drawer and pulling out a few rupees that sat inside.

“What do you mean?” 

“I mean,” Izie closed the drawer, “you don’t have to come back.”

Kafei peered at Izie, raising a brow at him. The suggestion would’ve tempted him before. He hated living under his parents thumb while his mother attacks him with marriage requests from other woman. They wanted to rush the process of love so Kafei will one day become a business man like his father, or maybe something similar to what his mother does.

“No, not this time,” Kafei said, looking back at the flowers and deeming the ribbon perfect. “Maybe another time.”

“I could end up dead,” Izie states.

“And you want me to die with you?” Kafei asked incredulously. “Don’t be dramatic. The day I see you die, Izie, will probably be in a dream of some kind.”

“You mean a nightmare?”

“A nightmare is a dream.” Kafei let out a sigh. “You’re not leaving forever, right?”

“I have to lie low for a bit, but maybe I’ll come back.” Izie smiled. “Now, hurry up, go woo Anju, I’m sure she’ll enjoy talking as much as you talk about her.”

“You think the flowers are a lot?”

“Last time you gave her a book about flowers,” Izie says, leading Kafei past the boxes and to the back door, “she works in a bookshop, I’m sure she’ll appreciate the wildflowers.”

Kafei let out a sigh. “Thanks...oh, when are you leaving?”

“Later on tonight, maybe early in the morning, depends if I have a good head start. I need to contact a guy about this.” Izie opened the door and ushered Kafei out of his shop. “I’ll see you later.” 

Kafei smiled, waving at his friend as he walked down the street. He was still a little nervous, but he couldn’t get rid of the pain that he might not see Izie again. He knew he could take care of himself, but it still worried him. He’ll have to check up on him later in the night.

As he walked down the alley, there was one thing he was getting tired of. His mother’s constant insistence of getting married. The other night, she had brought it up during dinner, and then before he had gone to bed. She reminded him that he wasn’t getting any older, and that he’ll need to settle. He wondered if that’s what she did, but didn’t want to open his mouth and spit the words out, instead he closed the door and locked it.

Besides his mother’s pushing, Kafei was also extremely nervous of how he feels toward Anju. The first moment he met her, he had praised her patience and kindness, but overtime, they met up and he spoke to her while signing books out. He even met her afterwards for tea in the back of coffee shops so none of his mother’s friends could spot him if they ever walked in. He didn’t want to tell Anju about this, he was a little ashamed.

He felt something for Anju. He hadn’t known what it was, and even talking to Izie was complicated. He wasn’t sure if Izie would understand how he felt and now that he thinks about it, he’s a little overwhelmed by the thought of it. 

What if...he’s in love with Anju?

Kafei stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, hand softly holding the bouquet of flowers, while his heart raced and his cheeks flushed. Was this love? The strong feeling of wanting to be with Anju. The calm he felt when he was in her presence. It was always serene with her, and he could be himself, well...less than usual when he talked with Izie. This...was love? The thing his mother told him about, and what he didn’t feel to the many women he met in his mother’s hopes and wishes that he’ll fall for.

Sucking in a breath, Kafei continued his way toward the bookshop and spotted Anju standing outside on the backstep. She turned in his direction and her face lit up, her blue eyes widening, and her mouth pulling into a smile. She was beautiful. So beautiful that his heart felt as if it were going to leap out from his chest and race to her. It was somewhat of a disturbing thought, but instead of leaping, it pulled him toward her and the nervousness returned. 

Kafei swallowed thickly and lifted the flowers to her. “I picked these for you.”

Anju smiled, reaching for the flowers, “Thank you, Kafei, they’re so pretty!” 

He was flying, or floating, and it felt so good as they walked down the street toward the coffee shop. The night was goo so no one would end up realizing that the mayor’s son is with the bookkeeper. Not that it was embarrassing, he just wanted time with Anju before his mother takes over. 

“Who’s watching the shop?” Kafei asked her.

“My mother, Oria,” Anju said, smelling the flowers.

She never did ask why they always met in the back of her shop, and Kafei had to suppress his pain that he had to hide this from everyone, including Anju.

Soon, he told himself, soon he’ll tell her. 

* * *

By the time the sun was about to set, Anju was returning to the bookshop after spending almost two hours in the coffee shop with Kafei. She had a wonderful time with him. He had stayed quiet until they arrived, and the moment they ordered their cups of tea, Kafei was talking about his day, and how he spent it with his friend. She was also curious about his schooling outside of Veritas, and even though he kept it vague, she was happy for the answers.

Since meeting Kafei, Anju has been reading fantasy and romance books, and she was smiling through the stories at the heroes who fought against evil, and saved people. She hadn’t typically seen Kafei in this light, but it filled her heart with hope that maybe what she felt for him was truly real, and not something written in the pages. 

She had wanted to talk about it, but they were surrounded by people, and after, Kafei left quickly. He hadn’t wanted to walk along the street like normal, and glanced around nervously.

Anju figured that Kafei was scared of his mother. She had heard about his mother’s hope that Kafei would either return to school or get married. There was a lot of gossip she’s been hearing from both her mother, father, and grandmother about this topic, and Anju hoped that having a fun night with each other, that Kafei would calm down and relax.

However, now she was questioning her feelings for Kafei and wanted to get a second opinion now that their date was finished. Maybe she’ll see him tomorrow in the bookshop, she hoped so. 

Anju pleasantly smelled the flowers again. A smile splayed on her face while she softly touched the blue ribbon.

**Author's Note:**

> This AU doesn't technically take place in either Termina or Hyrule. Just think of them being a different version of themselves since I'd rather not work with places I can't recall. So in this story, Anju is a bookkeeper, and Kafei is the mayor's son who is rich, yet stubborn, but not overly selfish and pretentious. 
> 
> I've also named some of the characters from the games since some of them don't actually have names but titles. 
> 
> They'll have their own POV's. :D 
> 
> I hoped you enjoyed the first chapter!
> 
> Comments and/or Kudo's are appreciative.


End file.
